[2.] They are so on the part of believers themselves. Even they stand in need to be minded of “the terror of the Lord,” and what a fearful thing it is to “fall into the hands of the living God,” and that even “our God is a consuming fire.” And this,—
1st. To keep up in their hearts a constant reverence of the ma- jesty of Jesus Christ, with whom they have to do. The threatening sanction of the gospel bespeaks the greatness, holiness, and terror of its author, and insinuates into the hearts of believers thoughts becoming them. It lets them know that he will be “sanctified in all that draw nigh unto him;” and so calls upon them for a due re-
VER. 2-4.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 285
verential preparation for the performance of his worship, and unto all the duties wherein they walk before him, Heb. xii. 28, 29. This influenceth them also unto a diligent attendance unto every particular duty incumbent on them, as the apostle declares, 2 Cor. v. 11.
2dly. They tend unto their consolation and supportment under all their afflictions and sufferings for the gospel. This relieves their hearts in all their sorrows, when they consider the sore vengeance that the Lord Jesus Christ will one day take on all his stubborn adversaries, who know not God, nor will obey the gospel, 2 Thess. i. 5-10; for the Lord Jesus is no less faithful in his threatenings than in his promises, and no less able to inflict the one than to accomplish the other. And he is “glorious” unto them therein, Isa. Ixiii, 11-13.
3dly. They give them constant matter of praise and thankfulness, when they see in them, as in a glass that will neither flatter nor cause- lessly terrify, a representation of that wrath which they are delivered from by Jesus Christ, 1 Thess. 1.10: for in this way every threaten- ing of the gospel proclaims the grace of Christ unto their souls; and when they hear them explained in all their terror, they can rejoice in the hope of the glory that shall be revealed. And,—
4thly. They are needful unto them to ingenerate that fear which may give check unto the remainder of their lusts and corruptions, with that security and negligence in attending to the gospel which by their means is apt to grow upon them. To this purpose is the punishment of despisers and backsliders here made use of and urged by our apostle. The hearts of believers are like gardens, wherein there are not only flowers, but weeds also; and as the former must be watered and cherished, so the latter must be curbed and nipped. If nothing but dews and showers of promises should fall upon the heart, though they seem to tend to the cherishing of their graces, yet the weeds of corruption will be apt to grow up with them, and in the end to choke them, unless they are nipped and blasted by the severity of threatenings. And although their persons, in the use of means, shall be secured from falling under the final execution of comminations, yet they know there is an infallible connection signi- fied in them between sin and destruction, 1 Cor. vi. 9, and that they must avoid the one if they would escape the other.
5thly. Hence they have in a readiness wherewith to balance temp- tations, especially such as accompany sufferings for Christ and the gospel. Great reasonings are apt to rise in the hearts of believers themselves in such a season, and they are biassed by their infir- mities to attend unto them. Liberty would be spared, life would be spared; it is hard to suffer and to die. How many have been betrayed by their fears at such a season to forsake the Lord Christ and the gospel! But now in these gospel threatenings we have that
286 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [ CHAP. II.
in a readiness which we may oppose unto all these reasonings and the efficacy of them. Are we afraid of a man that shall die? have we not much more reason to be afraid of the living God? ‘Shall we, to avoid the anger of a worm, cast ourselves into his wrath who is a consuming fire? Shall we, to avoid a little momentary trouble, to preserve a perishing life, which a sickness may take away the next day, run ourselves into eternal ruin? Man threatens me if I for- sake not the gospel; but God threatens if I do. Man threatens death temporal, which yet it may be he shall not have power to in- flict; God threatens death eternal, which no backslider in heart shall avoid. On these and the like accounts are comminations useful unto believers themselves.
(3.) These declarations of eternal punishment unto gospel ne- glecters do become the gospel with respect unto them that are the preachers and dispensers of at, that their message be not slighted nor their persons despised. God would have even them to have in a readiness wherewith to revenge the disobedience of men, 2 Cor. x. 6; not with carnal weapons, killing and destroying the bodies of men, but by such a denunciation of the vengeance that will ensue on their disobedience as shall undoubtedly take hold upon them, and end in their everlasting ruin. Thus are they armed for the warfare wherein by the Lord Christ they are engaged, that no man may be encouraged to despise them or contend with them. They are autho- rized to denounce the eternal wrath of God against disobedient sin- ners; and whomsoever they bind under the sentence of it on earth, they are bound in heaven unto the judgment of the great day.